The Summer Pinterest Strategy Nobody Talks About (But Should)

If you’ve been checking your Pinterest analytics lately and wondering if everyone suddenly forgot the platform exists, you’re not alone.

Every summer, Pinterest traffic tends to slow down. People are on vacation, kids are home from school, schedules are all over the place, and scrolling Pinterest for three hours while pretending to work somehow moves a little lower on the priority list. You can read my latest post on that here. 

That’s usually when panic sets in.

Bloggers start questioning their content. Business owners assume the Pinterest algorithm has turned against them. Some people even stop pinning altogether because they figure, “What’s the point if nobody’s clicking?”

But here’s the thing: summer isn’t the time to abandon your Pinterest strategy. It’s the time to adjust it.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make during the slower months is pinning at the same times they use during peak traffic seasons and expecting the same results. Unfortunately, Pinterest doesn’t work that way.

The good news? There are still opportunities to get engagement, clicks, and saves during the summer slowdown if you understand when your audience is actually active.

Let’s talk about the summer Pinterest strategy nobody talks about and why your pinning schedule might matter more than ever right now.

If You’re New Here

Hi, I’m Megan, and I’ve been working in Pinterest marketing for over a decade.

I got my start helping bloggers and content creators grow their traffic with Pinterest (and I still love working with them today), but over the years my work has expanded to include Pinterest organic strategy and Pinterest Ads for some pretty recognizable brands. I’ve worked on Pinterest campaigns and strategy for companies like Target, Ulta, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Dunkin’, and more.

Whether I’m helping a blogger get more page views or helping a major brand reach millions of Pinterest users, one thing stays the same: Pinterest is always evolving, and understanding how people use the platform throughout the year makes a huge difference in your results.

Why Pinterest Traffic Slows Down During the Summer

First things first: if your Pinterest traffic is down this summer, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ve done something wrong.

Every year, Pinterest experiences seasonal shifts in user behavior. During the summer months, people are traveling, spending more time outdoors, managing kids who are home from school, and generally spending less time online compared to other times of the year.

Think about it this way. In January, people are searching for planners, goal setting tips, healthy recipes, and ways to completely reinvent their lives by Tuesday. In July? They’re at the pool, planning vacations, and trying to remember if they packed sunscreen.

Pinterest users are still active during the summer, but they’re often browsing differently and at different times of day.

That’s why blindly following the same pinning schedule you used during peak traffic seasons may not give you the results you’re looking for right now.

The good news? A slower season doesn’t mean a dead season. It just means it’s time to adjust your strategy.

The Best Time to Pin on Pinterest During the Summer Slowdown

Now for the question you’re probably here for: when should you actually be pinning during the summer?

While there isn’t one magical time that guarantees viral traffic (if there were, we’d all be using it), there are some patterns I’ve consistently seen over the years managing Pinterest accounts for both bloggers and major brands.

During the summer, people tend to spend less time browsing during traditional work hours and more time planning, searching, and scrolling during quieter parts of the day.

Early Mornings: 6 AM to 9 AM

One of the strongest windows for Pinterest engagement is early morning.

People wake up, grab their coffee, and spend a few minutes scrolling before starting work, getting kids ready for camp, or heading out for the day.

Pinterest is often part of that morning routine, especially for users looking for recipes, travel ideas, home projects, and seasonal inspiration.

If you’re scheduling Pins, make sure at least some of your content is hitting Pinterest before the workday begins.

Evenings: 7 PM to 10 PM

If I had to choose one summer time slot to prioritize, it would be evenings. Mornings are good for inspiration, evenings are best for buying. 

After dinner, after the kids are in bed, after the summer activities are over for the day, people finally have time to relax and browse.

This is when users start planning purchases, saving ideas, researching projects, and creating boards for upcoming events, vacations, and holidays.

In other words, they’re in a Pinterest mindset.

Weekends Can Surprise You

Unlike some platforms where engagement completely tanks on weekends, Pinterest users are often actively planning projects, meals, travel, and home updates on Saturdays and Sundays.

Summer weekends can actually be a great opportunity to get your content in front of people who finally have time to tackle the projects they’ve been saving all week.

The Real Summer Strategy Nobody Talks About

The biggest mistake I see people make during the summer is focusing only on current summer content.

Pinterest users are planners.

While everyone else is posting beach photos, Pinterest users are already searching for back to school ideas, fall decor, Halloween inspiration, holiday planning tips, and end of year projects.

That’s why some of the best performing content during the summer isn’t summer content at all.

July is often the perfect time to start introducing back to school content. By August, fall content should already be part of your strategy. And before you know it, Pinterest users are searching for holiday content long before most people are ready to hear Christmas music.

The creators who continue gaining traffic during the summer slowdown aren’t necessarily posting more. They’re posting what people will be searching for next.

And that’s the difference.

3 Summer Pinterest Mistakes That Hurt Your Traffic

If your Pinterest traffic feels slower than usual, don’t panic. A summer dip is normal. But there are a few mistakes that can make the slowdown much worse than it needs to be.

Mistake #1: Stopping Your Pinning Schedule

I see this every single year.

Traffic starts to dip, engagement isn’t quite what it was in the spring, and people decide to pause their Pinterest strategy until things “pick back up.”

Big mistake. This puts you in a TERRIBLE spot for the fall traffic spike 

Pinterest rewards consistency. Even during slower seasons, your content is still being indexed, distributed, and saved by users. When you stop pinning completely, you’re essentially hitting pause on future growth.

Summer is actually one of the best times to stay consistent because you’re building momentum for the busy fall and holiday seasons ahead.

Mistake #2: Only Pinning Summer Content

Yes, people are searching for summer recipes, vacation ideas, and backyard projects.

But they’re also searching for what’s next.

One of the biggest advantages on Pinterest is understanding that users plan ahead. While everyone else is focused on what’s happening today, Pinterest users are already searching for next month and sometimes even next season.

By July, you should be thinking about back to school content. By August, fall content should already be part of your strategy.

The creators who continue getting traffic during the summer are often the ones creating content for where Pinterest users are headed, not where they currently are.

Mistake #3: Obsessing Over Daily Analytics

I know it’s tempting.

You open Pinterest Analytics, see a dip in impressions or clicks, and immediately assume something is wrong.

But Pinterest has always been a long game.

One slow week doesn’t mean your strategy is failing. One dip in impressions doesn’t mean the algorithm hates you. And one underperforming Pin doesn’t mean you need to scrap your entire content plan.

Instead of focusing on daily fluctuations, look at your overall trends. Are you staying consistent? Are you creating fresh content? Are you publishing content for upcoming seasonal searches?

If the answer is yes, you’re probably doing better than you think.

Remember: Pinterest isn’t about winning today. It’s about building traffic that continues working for you weeks, months, and sometimes years down the road.

Need Help Keeping Your Pinterest Traffic Moving This Summer?

Let’s be honest. Most business owners and bloggers don’t have time to constantly monitor Pinterest trends, test pinning schedules, create fresh content, and stay ahead of seasonal search behavior.

That’s where I come in.

I’ve spent more than a decade helping businesses grow on Pinterest, from bloggers and content creators to major brands like Target, Ulta, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Dunkin’. I’ve seen firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and how to adapt when Pinterest traffic shifts throughout the year.

If you’re tired of guessing when to pin, wondering why your traffic isn’t growing, or simply don’t have the time to manage Pinterest consistently, I’d love to help.

My Pinterest Management services are designed to take Pinterest off your plate while building a strategy that supports long term traffic, visibility, and growth.

Because summer traffic slumps are normal.

Losing momentum because you don’t have a strategy? That’s optional.

Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Let’s chat about how Pinterest Management can help your business get better results year round.

Have questions about your Pinterest strategy? Click HERE To learn more!

Happy Pinning!

Megan